‘No funds available’ for HCWs’ benefits

I’m a health-care worker (HCW) in the Philippines and I want to voice out my concern about how the government is treating us.

Republic Act No. 11712 grants mandatory continuing benefits and allowances to public and private health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and other future public health emergencies. It was approved in 2022.

I’m very disappointed over how the government continues to neglect HCWs. The year 2023 is already ending but the government has yet to release the benefits it owes in 2022. Are we going to wait for another year to get our benefits?

It appears that the government doesn’t recognize how HCWs have sacrificed so much, especially during the pandemic. No wonder a lot of us just want to work in other countries because the Philippine government system is very toxic. Many died trying to save other people. They call us heroes but they neglect us. They can release billions of funds to government officials, but it’s always “no funds available” when it comes to HCWs.

This is a very sad reality of how the health-care system in this country works.